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Genius Warlock - Episode 430

430. lull? (3)

Jane coming through the basement passage.

A completely unexpected situation. That's why Oliver noticed it a beat later than Merlin..

No, isn't it? I rented a place to work quietly, but Jane came to visit..

No, before that, I was wondering how I got here..

The only people Oliver told about this location were Merlin and Kevin..

I turned my head back to Merlin to see if he knew anything, but he was already gone..

“this······.”

Oliver muttered as he thought about Merlin, who appeared like the wind and disappeared like the wind. Meanwhile, Jane came to the iron door of the basement, knocked twice, and opened the door..

bang. bang. Squeak······.

The door opened with the sound of metal and rusty hinges. Jane showed her face through the open door..

Thanks to her, she could see. view of the basement.

A blood tank connected to multiple mechanical devices, damaged corpses and corpse dolls inside, corpses being embalmed, and multiple corpses hanging on a drying rack after embalming. Various organs packed with blood piled up next to the corpse.

For reference, each shoulder of the corpse was marked with grades A, B, and C according to quality, and the blood-packed intestines were also marked with the owner of each organ, giving a glimpse of experience and systematicity..

Oliver focused his eyes, unconsciously wondering how Jane would react upon seeing the scene in the basement..

It was a very ordinary scene for Oliver, but after several years of social life and education at Angel House, he learned that it may not be so for other people.······.

As expected, Jane looked around Oliver's temporary workshop and expressed surprise, confusion, and fear..

It wasn't something I couldn't understand. There were corpses everywhere. But Jane seemed to have made up her mind and calmed herself down, giving no outward signs of surprise..

Even though I know that Oliver is a warlock who can see through emotions. He was considerate of Oliver to the extent he could..

Emotions that have calmed down. Jane greeted Oliver at the entrance to the workshop where more than two dozen corpses were being processed..

“hello. dave.”

Oliver also said hello..

“hello. Lady Jane... How did you get here??”

“I came here to ask Mr. Lucien. Perhaps because he knew I was Dave's friend, he answered right away..”

Oliver is... He exclaimed. He did ask to borrow the basement, but he never asked me to reveal his location. It was Oliver's fault..

Oliver was so dazed from two days of vigil that he didn't know what to say..

It was even more so because I had a long conversation with Merlin just now..

So I asked what I was most curious about..

“hmm······. I'm sorry, but may I ask what brought you here??”

“I feel sad. A friend came to visit, and he asked how I came and why I came... It's so cold, right? Have you come to hate me??”

“Oh, that's not it. just-”

“-Hehe, just kidding..”

Jane said with a smile. But it wasn't just a prank. She was smiling and playful on the outside, but she was worried about Oliver now. I didn't know why.

“hmm······. I just came because I wanted to eat with a friend. Is it possible?”

“Meal... do you mean??”

“Yes, from the looks of it, it looks like someone needs to eat..”

Jane said as she looked at Oliver, and it made a lot of sense..

Although the unrest has subsided and he is better than when they first reunited, Oliver is still not in good shape today..

At most, someone who had starved for a month turned into someone who had starved for 15 days..

It wasn't a bad story for Oliver either. The fixer needed to recover his physical strength by eating desperately when he had the resources and spare time. He was still hungry.

I don't know if it was the aftereffects of starvation, but Oliver was currently suffering from a hunger that would not go away..

It wasn't to the point where I was starving to death, but the unpleasant hunger that persisted was a bit of a problem. Like a curse.

However, Oliver was a little uncomfortable with Jane's suggestion. She is her own friend, and despite her pleasure in talking to her, she says.

It was a bit like that right now. Should I say it’s dull? I wonder if my heart feels tight?

That's why I handed over all the credit to Merlin, and Oliver stayed in the basement to work..

After much thought, just as Oliver was about to politely decline using work as an excuse, Jane spoke first. That too quite firmly.

“Mr. Dave.”

“Yes, lady.”

“I don't know if you know this, but it's very rude for a man to reject a woman's offer..”

Oliver said 'ah'.

Because I had learned about this at the Angel's House. Employees at Angel's House said that it takes ten times more courage for a woman to suggest something to a man, and that she feels a hundred times more shame when it is rejected..

Therefore, it was said that a true gentleman or Landa person should not refuse this..

Although he didn't quite understand it, Oliver readily accepted the teachings..

‘I'm embarrassed.’

Oliver thought again. Jane said next.

“And Dave, you can't reject my offer..”

“······? Can you ask what the reason is??”

“I promised not to get hurt, but I came back hurt... So you have to eat with me..”

It didn't make logical sense, but Jane nailed it. Shining with concern and determination for Oliver.

The emotion was so clear that Oliver thought for a moment and then nodded..

“All right······. But is there a place to eat??”

“Of course. Even if the world comes to an end, there will be people in business..”

Jane answered with a wide smile..

***

What Jane said was true.

1On the outskirts of Raville, which was devastated around the district, people who had fled the unrest gathered and suffered from unseasonable crowds, but there were also people who made money through business..

This included the owners of multi-family homes that were evicting existing tenants and rip-offs of the city's middle and wealthy classes, and restaurants selling food of unknown origin to refugees..

“This is one of those restaurants. However, the food is reliable. As you can see.”

“okay.”

The exterior of the building is so-so, but the interior is a fairly well-equipped restaurant. Oliver answered by eating there with Jane..

There was already a huge amount of food piled on the table in front of Oliver, but the waiters continued to bring new dishes without stopping..

But there was no problem. Just like right after the battle with the human meat chef, the amount of food Oliver ate was also enormous, and empty seats were constantly being created..

Jane looked at Oliver and said.

“It looks like you're still very hungry.?”

Oliver nodded. As I said before, after the battle with the human meat chef, my hunger was so strong that it never went away..

Chronic hunger. It felt like I was back in the orphanage and mine days..

If it were so bad, no matter how much I ate, I wouldn't be full, would I just fall asleep hungry?.

As Oliver ate his food neatly at a steady pace, I wondered why he was doing this. It wasn't severe and I could bear it, but I was curious about the cause of the phenomenon..

‘Has the Human Meat Chef's disease-weakness system not been completely resolved? Now that I think about it, disease-weakening black magic isn't black magic that can be solved when the magician dies..’

Thinking of the human meat cook again, the conversation he had with him came to mind, and Oliver shook his head, feeling a bit annoyed..

Jane asked after seeing Oliver like that..

“Doesn’t the food suit your taste??”

“yes? no······. very delicious.”

“ah. Well then, that's a relief. Don't hesitate and keep eating.”

Jane smiled and said to Oliver, who was already continuing to eat without hesitation..

After hearing those words, Oliver belatedly realized how much he had eaten..

“Thank you for your kind words. But will it be okay? I think I ate too much.”

“I found out about this restaurant thanks to Dave, so feel free to eat it as a reward..”

“Thanks to me?”

“yes······. Isn't it strange? Even though I just came from Randa, I know about this restaurant.?”

like······. When I heard it, I found it a little strange. The interior decoration was nice and the food tasted great, but the exterior of this restaurant was similar to the surrounding buildings so it didn't really stand out..

It's hard to find unless someone teaches you..

“that's right. who taught me.”

“Are you Lucien??”

Oliver guessed. The only people in this city who were friends with Jane were Murphy and Lucien, and the only local person was Lucien..

However, Jane shook her head..

“no. Someone else taught me. I met people here..”

“Oh, that's a good thing. When did you date??”

“When the human meat cook caused a riot and the College of Law evacuated the wealthy citizens of the city to their own college..”

Oliver was slightly surprised. Even in the midst of his hectic state, he makes friends. Oliver was truly impressed by Jane's resourcefulness..

“To be exact, it's thanks to Dave rather than my ingenuity..”

“Me?”

“yes. You used the portal to evacuate Mr. Lucien and Mr. Murphy to the university.?”

Oliver nodded. For time and safety reasons, we opened a portal in the basement and moved it..

“At that time, I noticed the wizards and refugees around me, and I was able to talk to them and become friends..”

“Oh, I see.”

“I was also lucky. Some of the people I spoke to were natural entrepreneurs. Even as disaster strikes the city, they've found an opportunity to make money, and they're recruiting investors to make it happen. Isn’t it amazing??”

Oliver nodded and agreed. But on the other hand, he accepted it naturally.

It was a common sight in Landa. Didn't Forrest tell you? If an accident occurs at an airship station, rather than saving people, they short sell the stocks of the relevant airship company. It was similar to that.

“The problem was that the damage to the city was so great that it was impossible to raise money to the target using existing investment methods, and that's when Mr. Murphy, Mr. Lucien, and I joined together. I can raise funds from Sisterhood, and Mr. Murphy and Lucien can raise funds from Crime Firm and Millieu, respectively... That's when I found out about this restaurant. So thanks to Dave..”

Oliver quietly admired. Amid disaster and coincidence, such an opportunity arises and is seized again and again. It was interesting.

“So Dave, can you tell us too? what happened?”

Sudden question. I could tell from Jane's emotions that this was the point..

Because of the story he heard and the food he received, Oliver decided to answer appropriately as he kissed Merlin..

“After parting ways with Lady Jane, I went to stop the human meat cook. It was difficult for me alone. As you can see, I was affected by disease-weakening black magic. Meanwhile, the archive-”

“-I didn't ask that..”

Jane interrupted..

“It wasn't that I was hurt, I was just asking if there was anything I was worried about. The body is important, but the mind is also important..”

Jane asked, genuinely worried about Oliver. After worrying and thinking about whether I might be presumptuous,.

The moment Oliver read that emotion, he put down his fork and knife. Even though the hunger has not subsided yet.

I heard the words of the human meat cook in my ears..

“······Why are you asking that question??”

Jane shrugged. Just like when I first met her and played the role of an innocent, pure rich girl..

Unlike back then, he now looks more confident, wearing more androgynous clothes and wearing black piercings in his ears, but he looks very similar to back then. No, it was more than that..

“I just think there's something troubling me.?”

Oliver touched his face as Jane spoke..

“What's wrong with me??”

Jane shook her head..

“That's not it. It's just a feeling... I'm Oliver's friend.?”

friend. Oliver reacted to those words, but then he remembered what the meat cook had said and a nagging question arose..

Do you really think that your friends Jane and Cant are really precious people, or are their feelings precious?.

‘To you, people just create interesting emotions... It's like a biological machine. I made a mistake with my threats. How can you threaten someone precious to me when I invited you here? It was an absurd mistake... You don't even have someone as precious as me. There are only precious emotions. Like a favorite toy.’

Although it was quite a long statement, Oliver remembered it clearly..

Even though it was something I could just ignore, it still got my attention..

In other words, I was curious. Indeed, she wonders if she would have grieved if Jane had died in this disturbance. If she was sad, she would be sad because of her friend's death..

No, when I first asked this question, I thought something was wrong..

To forget about these worries, I stayed up all night for two days and concentrated on my work, but instead of disappearing, my doubts became even more dizzy due to my dull brain..

I guess it was a mistake to stay up all night. Or maybe you need something else to focus on..

Oliver answered cautiously..

“······Could you please tell me a little later? Maybe it's because I can't sleep, but my thoughts aren't organized well..”

“Of course. Please think slowly and answer. Instead, you must talk about it.?”

Jane said, leaning forward slightly, and Oliver nodded and promised..

Jane pulled back with satisfaction and opened her mouth playfully..

“thank you. In return, I will tell you the news about Landa. If you want... In fact, this is why I came all the way there..”

“What is it?”

“It seemed like Mr. Forrest was trying to do business. Area X redevelopment project. Coincidence, right? Do you know anything??”